Welcome
Hi, I’m Eric!
I spent 2 years road-tripping across the U.S., climbing impressive rocks and mountains, hiking, exploring national parks and figuring out how to see incredible places without a big budget.
For the first year, that meant living out of a Subaru Forester with my wife, Lala (yes, it’s 76.1 cubic feet; no, it’s not enough space).
The second year, it meant house-sitting up the West Coast through Trusted HouseSitters and staying in the most incredible houses for free.
This blog is where I share the destinations we’ve visited, the itineraries that worked, and everything I learned about traveling without going broke.
If you want real, lived-in guides to road trips, national parks, outdoor adventure and how to live in your SUV (not just another “20 things to do” list) – you’re in the right place.
Fun Facts About Me
I only have
FOUr senses
I’m half american &
half colombian
DAYS SLEPT IN MY CAR
400+
Favorite place
Washington state
my FAVORITE FOOD
thai curry
my favorite cheesE
brie
Start here:
My Favorite Road Trip
My Favorite national parks
How WE lived in an SUV for 2 years
Where it all Began
As a third-culture kid, I’ve always enjoyed traveling. Maybe it was all the trips to the US when I was young – jumping on an airplane knowing I was about to play in a pool all summer.
There was nothing like that first taste of apple juice on the plane over.
Jump forward a few years, and I got into photography and blogging. Life was full of adventures to rock climb, scuba dive, hike and get to know new places – mostly in Colombia.
Then, when Lala and I got married, we thought of going on a year-long round-the-world trip. But, in reality, we didn’t have the money for that.
Over the years, we prioritized travel. We’ve always been smart about our finances, and got to know places like Mexico, Curacao, and all over Colombia despite our meager Colombian salaries.
Finally, 4 years later, as cheesy as it sounds, we were able to make our dream come true and travel full-time. But it wasn’t a dream come true in the usual sense. This is how that happened…
2 years road tripping the USA
This is Lala!
We met in high school, dated long distance for 3.5 years, and got married in December 2019.
Lala had her tourist visa to the USA denied 5 times during that time.
And since so much of my family is in the US, we realized we’d have to apply for here green card.
During that 2-year process, we saw an opportunity: since we had to sell everything anyway and move to the US, it was time to chase our dream!
We set out to road trip for at least 6 months, and it became 2 years!
It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, though. Sleeping in an SUV sucks!
But we made it happen and it was the adventure of a life-time. We worked and even saved money during our road trip, while having crazy experiences that never would have happened if we hadn’t put ourselves out there.
So, what’s this blog about?
It’s about real itineraries to the places we know, honest advice about what it costs and how to make it work on any budget, and everything I picked up living 400+ nights out of an SUV so you can too (if you’re up for it).
My Travel Style
Let’s Gomonos is where I share budget road trip destinations and how to GO do them!
Every guide was built by a real person on real road trips with a real low budget (me):
➡️ We travel on a budget – and our outdoor hobbies are pretty cheap anyway
➡️ We’re fine with being uncomfortable when money is an issue
➡️ Our trips always revolve around an activity – climbing, hiking, scuba diving, eating
➡️ We come back from trips more tired, but so fulfilled
So, what can you expect from Let’s Gomonos?
My itineraries have options for everyone from dirtbags who will never pay for lodging (me) to people looking for budget hotels.
All my itineraries have lots of activities, but we play hard so we can rest harder.
I try to embrace discomfort, not hide it, because life is comfortable enough and the best memories aren’t made then.
This is how I like to travel, and all my SUV camping guides and itineraries will have a lot of these elements!
beauty + play
I love the outdoors because of how I connect with it and, through it, to God. I can admire its beauty while playing in nature, whether climbing, scuba diving or hiking.
slow & simple
I like getting to know a place deeply, which often means doing less things for more time. My itineraries aren’t jam-packed, and I schedule lots of time for rest and food!
discomfort
It makes you grow as a person. That’s a huge part of why traveling is so satisfying. I always seek some discomfort in the form of new experiences or physical activity.
well-budgeted
I’m typically frugal but save and budget to splurge on our priorities. Especially when traveling! Money management is key for me to use it as a tool for what I love.
